


Unmasked

by twtd



Series: Masquerade [2]
Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: Costume Parties & Masquerades, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-07-07 09:48:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15905856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twtd/pseuds/twtd
Summary: A follow-up to Masks.Hecate and Pippa return to the masquerade years later. What happens when Hecate figures out who Pippa was all those years ago?***Pippa stared down at the invitation in her hand. Cassandra Catspaw's yearly masquerade was upon her again. She hadn't been in a few years, various school responsibilities keeping her away, but it looked like her schedule would be free this year. She wondered briefly if Hecate might also be free, might be interested in attending with her, before she dismissed the idea as too frivolous for Hecate's sensibilities. Perhaps the entire event was now too frivolous for her own sensibilities as well as she found herself less excited than usual about the prospect of putting on a ball gown and mingling with 'strangers.' It seemed at some point over the recent years, she had become more fond of staying in that going out, and now that her friendship with Hecate was rekindled, the thought of spending the night in Hecate's rooms with brandy and a chess board was more appealing yet.





	Unmasked

**Author's Note:**

> People got quite upset with me for how the Masks ended. Hopefully this assuages everyone. ;)

_Without wearing any mask we are conscious of, we have a special face for each friend_

_-Oliver Wendell Holmes_

Pippa stared down at the invitation in her hand. Cassandra Catspaw's yearly masquerade was upon her again. She hadn't been in a few years, various school responsibilities keeping her away, but it looked like her schedule would be free this year. She wondered briefly if Hecate might also be free, might be interested in attending with her, before she dismissed the idea as too frivolous for Hecate's sensibilities. Perhaps the entire event was now too frivolous for her own sensibilities as well as she found herself less excited than usual about the prospect of putting on a ball gown and mingling with 'strangers.' It seemed at some point over the recent years, she had become more fond of staying in that going out, and now that her friendship with Hecate was rekindled, the thought of spending the night in Hecate's rooms with brandy and a chess board was more appealing yet. Curious how that had happened. Still, Pippa supposed a night of mild debauchery had its place, and the headaches the next morning had always been worth it. Pippa fingered the invitation before setting it aside. Perhaps she would go this year after all.

***

Hecate looked down at the dress that adorned her body for the night. She hadn't been to the Catspaw's masquerade in nearly a decade, yet she still kept receiving invitations. Like previous years, she had planned to ignore it completely. That plan didn't account for Ada catching sight of the invitation as they had tea one day. Some friendly badgering later and Hecate had agreed to take the night off and enjoy the party. If nothing else, it meant a night free of Mildred Hubble and her incorrigible friends. That alone took a weight off of her shoulders and they were looser for it.

The dark emerald of her dress wasn't as much a departure from her usual clothing as the last gown she had worn to a masquerade, but truly hiding her identity was less of a concern this time. She had no plans on going home with a stranger that night and she was comfortable enough in her own skin that she had no desire to be a new person. If people saw a severe woman in a green dress and put together that it was Hecate Hardbroom, then let them. 

She smirked at herself as she looked around the room. There would be no woman dressed like the moon to sweep her away that night, but that was fine. The odds of being able to replicate that night were infinitesimal and she wouldn't want to try even if they weren't. Some experiences weren't meant to be re-lived.

***

Pippa sipped her glass of champagne as she took in the scene around her. The dance floor was too crowded for her liking, but she easily avoided it. Otherwise, the night had been thoroughly pleasant. It seemed that many of the attendees had mellowed a bit over the years, or maybe there had always been a more relaxed contingent and Pippa simply hadn't been interested. She was just about to step into a side parlor when a flash of emerald caught the corner of her eye and she turned to look. Suddenly, it was as if she was fifteen years in the past. Dark red had been exchanged for dark green, but Hestia, or should she say Hecate, was still the same. She still exuded the same aura. She still drew Pippa's attention like a magnet. Should Pippa go over to her? Would Hecate recognize her as Luna? Would she recognize her as Pippa? Did she want either of those things? It would be safer just to continue into the parlor and avoid the question altogether. Now that she had seen Hecate, she would be easy enough to avoid for the rest of the night.

Pippa had never been good at playing it safe. She grabbed a second glass of champagne and confidently approached Hecate. "What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?" Pippa said as she smiled cheekily. She counted on Hecate recognizing her as Pippa to override any potential memories from their prior encounter. 

"What?" Hecate spun toward the voice, ready to launch into a lecture when she finally took in who was speaking to her. "Pippa?" Hecate asked incredulously. 

Pippa held out the glass of champagne. "I've no idea who that is. I just came over to give a beautiful woman a sorely missing glass of bubbly." 

Hecate narrowed her eyes but took the glass of champagne anyway. 

"Forgive me," Hecate said dryly. "You simply reminded me of a friend." She pursed her lips in the face of the laughter in Pippa's eyes. 

Pippa smiled in delight. She hadn't truly expected Hecate to play along. "If only I could count myself so lucky as to be your friend," Pippa responded. 

"Most would consider it more a curse than an honor and certainly nothing to inspire envy." Even as she said it, Hecate's eyes sparked. It made Pippa catch her breath. She had never known Hecate to be quite so… playful… before. It must be the atmosphere, or maybe there was something in the wine. Pippa didn't know, but she was going to go with it. 

"I'll judge who's worthy of my jealousy, thank you, and your friend is certainly on my list," Pippa said. It wasn't a lie. She was just a bit jealous of everyone who had gotten to spend time with Hecate while she and Pippa had been estranged. Normally she didn't let it bother her. 

"If it means that much to you, I can call you friend as well, though perhaps you might grace me with your name before I do so," Hecate smirked, eyes wrinkling at the edges. 

"She goes by Luna," an unfamiliar voice chimed in and suddenly there was an arm draped over Pippa's shoulders. "Don't let her charm you though. She's a notorious flirt." Cassandra Catspaw leaned heavily into Pippa's side as Pippa fought a grimace. She hoped Hecate had somehow missed the name or missed the significance. She lifted her eyes to Hecate's and received a calculating look in return. 

"I think you're the pot talking to the kettle, dear," Pippa said to Cassandra, though she kept her attention focused on Hecate. She could practically see Hecate thinking. 

"I suppose you're right," Cassandra responded. "But you should come with a warning label, so I thought I might provide one." She looked at Hecate. "Consider yourself on notice: She's charming as hell, but she'll disappear before morning. What you do with that information is up to you." She bumped her hip against Pippa's. "Now that my civic duty's done, I see a terribly lost-looking young man over there who looks like he needs my help finding the dance floor." Before Pippa could retort, Cassandra had pulled away from Pippa and was chasing after the man, who Pippa was happy to see looked to be in at least his 30s and well capable of taking care of himself. She didn't want to have chase after Cassandra and issue her own warning. Pippa started after her for a long moment hoping to avoid the opprobrium she suspected she'd find in Hecate's eyes.

"So," Hecate broke the silence, "Luna is it?" Pippa had no choice but to turn back toward Hecate. She couldn't avoid talking to her friend for long or her discomfort would become even more conspicuous.

"Yes, that's…" she couldn't really deny it, could she? Not without insulting both of them. Maybe Hecate hadn't put it together. "That's me." Pippa smiled sheepishly. 

"That's funny. I seem to recall meeting a Luna at this very party many years ago," Hecate said, voice strong but with an undercurrent of something tremulous. 

Hecate knew. She knew, yet for some reason, she hadn't called Pippa out on it. Maybe she thought Pippa didn't know she had been with Hecate. Without addressing it directly, Pippa couldn't be sure, but for some reason, Hecate seemed content to continue their game.

"Mmm," Pippa responded noncommittally. "I can only believe you would have left quite the impression." Hecate had left an impression that night, but it was nothing compared to the one she had left in their childhood. 

"I'm not so sure that I did. Particularly on a companion known for, shall we say, a short attention span." Hecate sipped her champagne and Pippa really had no choice but to accept the insult if she wanted to continue their befuddling charade. Still, she couldn't just let it lie.

"Some people leave outsized marks on the memory." Yes, it was a reference to that night, but also to every other part of their relationship. 

"And did I?" Hecate caught Pippa's eyes with her own and held them. Behind that sharp gaze, however, Pippa saw a hint of vulnerability. With anyone else Pippa would know what to do. She would know where they were going. She would flirtatiously reassure Hecate of her memorability, and despite Pippa's original desire to go home alone, they would progress to the nearest bed where they would enjoy themselves reliving a night from fifteen years in the past. Then they would once again go their separate ways. But that script didn't work with Hecate. They couldn't do this and then go on pretending it had never happened. Neither could they pretend that their last encounter had never happened, not anymore. 

Pippa seized Hecate's hand with her own and tugged her toward an abandoned room.

***

"We at least made it to a hotel last time," Hecate said as they came to a stop. "That was you, wasn't it?" Hecate pursed her lips. Before Pippa could answer, she continued. "Did you know?"

Pippa lifted her mask then took it off entirely. Seeing her barefaced, Hecate was struck by just how beautiful her friend was. Of course, she had noticed before. She noticed every time that she saw Pippa, but something about it that night caught Hecate off guard. She had to remind herself that they didn't have that kind of relationship. They were only friends, though apparently, they had been lovers once. What would she have done if she had known she'd gone to bed with Pippa? Hecate couldn't say. Would they have reconciled sooner or perhaps not at all? 

"Only after. I heard you on your mirror. I think you were talking to Ada. She said your name. By the time I put it together, you were gone." 

Hecate nodded. "I suppose it isn't the sort of thing you bring up over tea years later." 

"I didn't think so, no." Had Pippa even thought to bring it up at all? Hecate didn't know and she wouldn't ask. 

"I…" Hecate paused. For lack of anything better to do, she took off her own mask as well. 

"I do remember that night," Pippa said. Hecate looked at her questioningly. "You asked if you left a mark," Pippa explained. "You did."

Hecate nodded once. "I supposed that's good to know." 

"If I… If I hadn't known… If I had seen you here tonight and I only knew you as Hestia, I would have talked to you again. I would have… well…" There was no need for Pippa to finished her sentence. They both knew what Pippa would have tried. 

"Forgive me, but knowing you would want a shadow of me isn't as flattering as you think." 

"Of course… that's not… I didn't mean it that way," Pippa deflated. For a moment, Hecate hated that she couldn't have accepted the compliment for what it was. 

"Perhaps it would be best if we went our separate ways for the night," Hecate offered. It would be easier than navigating this awkwardness, and then they could return to their normal relationship in a few days. 

Pippa exhaled and seemed to steel her resolve. "I meant," she started. "I meant that I would have happily spent the night flirting with you, knowing precisely who you were, and if that finally pushed our relationship past the platonic and into something more, I would have been delighted. Except I don't have a hotel room tonight, so you simply would have had to come back to Pentangle's with me."

Hecate blinked at Pippa's revelation. "Delighted?" Her mind got caught there. Pippa would be delighted to take Hecate home with her? Hecate flushed. 

"Mmmhmm," Pippa said as she stepped closer to Hecate and fidgeted with the mask in her hands. "I want to take you home with me, Hecate. And I want you to be there tomorrow morning when I wake up, and I don't want there to be any masks or costumes involved." 

Hecate froze as one of Pippa's hands came to rest on her forearm. "The question is, what do you want?"

***

Pippa stretched out in the middle of her bed. Sunlight peeked through the curtains, but luckily she was hangover free. The sheets beside her were cool to the touch. Pippa frowned. Hecate had been there the night before. She hadn't imagined that. Surely she wouldn't have left, would she?

Then Pippa heard the scratching coming from the next room. She forced herself out of bed and shrugged on a robe before she went to investigate. The door to her sitting room was cracked open and she peered around it as she pushed it open. She let out a small sigh of relief when she saw Hecate sitting in the armchair beside her fireplace, a stack of papers balanced on her lap, pen scratching against paper. 

"It's barely ten and you're already marking?" Pippa leaned against the door jam and covered a yawn. Hecate finished writing her sentence and looked up. 

"Some of us still do give out marks," Hecate said. 

"Mmm," Pippa responded as she walked across the room, took Hecate's papers from her hands, put them aside, and then sat in Hecate's lap. "Maybe you can give out marks later." Pippa dipped her head down and caught Hecate's lips in a kiss that started short but quickly turned long and lingering. "And use your time now to come back to bed," Pippa whispered in Hecate's ear. 

Hecate shivered. "I could be persuaded," she said. 

"Good," Pippa responded. She placed another kiss on Hecate's lips and then stood. She squeezed Hecate's hand before she let go and sauntered back toward her bedroom, unfastening her robe as she went.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are amazing and I'm on tumblr @twtd11.


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